Incursio and the Frozen Throne
by Kyoto141092
Summary: What happens to the world when the most powerful Imperial Arms user follows her heart...I'll tell you what...A very uncomfortable Tatsumi. But part of following her heart is following her instincts. Esdeath wants more than love. She wants the throne...and she will get it. /Tatsumi x Esdeath /possible harem, fluff, and possible lemons. And I promise! less people die!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone I decided to redo this story. Mainly improving the general writing style and separating out the dialogue boxes. So... anyway, here is the second iteration of chapter 1! I also changed it up so it doesn't just read like the first arena scene...**

 **Anyway... I still don't own Akame ga Kill.**

 _ **Chapter 1**_

The area was huge, large enough match the first floor of Nightraid's hideout. The main fighting area however, was much smaller, paved in what looked like white marble. It was slight scuffed from the many fights that had taken place.

Tatsumi tested the grip of his boots on the smooth surface. He'd need to make sure his balance was just right or he'd go sliding across it with little effort. A small twitch at the corner of his lips… a slight shifting of his weight to his other foot. Both signs that he was ready to fight.

His fingers twitched to his side, where Incursio's sealed blade rested. He would need to be careful not to show too much in this fight. _"_ _Or else I'll get questioned for where I was trained… sheesh..don't those guys realize how hard it is to hold back when I'm fighting?"_

He glanced off to the side, catching sight of Leone and Lubbock. Leone waived to him, cheering him on. Tatsumi sighed and looked across to his opponent. _"_ _Is this guy for real?"_ His opponent stood across from him, standing at least eight feet. He obviously wasn't human. The giant bull head making him look like a minotaur…. _"_ _Or maybe his is a minotaur…"_ Whichever way it was, he was big as they came, his muscles overdeveloped, building obscenely.

At that moment the announcer, a young man with dark hair and a friendly grin, jumped onto the field. He did a wildly overenthusiastic bow to each of them. He shouted to the crowds as loudly as he could. "NOW FOR THE FINAL MATCH!" IN THE EAST CORNER IS KALBI THE BUTCHER!"

Tatsumi sweat-dropped. _"_ _Really? That sounds a bit over the top…"_

"AND IN THE WEST CORNER, TATSUMI THE BLACKSMITH!"

 **Ooo**

Esdeath pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. She was bored… no bored didn't even begin to describe it. She had been here for… five hours already and not a single worthy fighter. It would kill her if the oppressive heat didn't do it first.

Her hand wearily reached out to the side, "Run… Would you organize something… interesting for me after this is over. I fear that my disappointment will need some avenue of release."

He nodded readily, "Of course Lady Esdeath."

She sighed and turned her attention to the arena. _"_ _This is the final match. Maybe they saved the best for last. The big one actually looks somewhat skilled. Although….his looks leave much to be desired…"_

 **Ooo**

The announcer stepped back and the bull man looked down on him. He snorted, "Hmmmm, A small fry eh? I guess I'll be winning this match. I'll have you know that..."

Tatsumi let his muscles relax as he ignored the guy's arrogant boasting. Part of his mind told him that it was only half lies. He really was strong. Tatsumi thought about all his training he'd already done with Night Raid. This guy was nothing...

The announcer shouted, "BEGIN!"

Kalbi charged and slammed his fist down into the ground, where Tatsumi had just been ground split apart and cratered even as he leapt up in the air over his head and brought an elbow into the bullman's head. He thought, _I don't even need Incursio for this guy!"_ His opponent barely managed to get his arms up to block. Despite that he was still sent skidding along the smooth stone of the arena.

Kalbi recovered quickly and lunged forward, launching a blinding barrage of punches and elbow strikes. Tatsumi saw them as if in slow motion. He ducked and weaved, dodging most and blocking those he couldn't. For all his size Tatsumi was physically stronger.

Getting tired of being on the defensive he ducked the next blow and dashed in close. He smelled the reek of sweat from Kalbi. His fist caught him once...twice...in the gut. Tatsumi then jumped backward as his enemy raised both fists and roared. Tatsumi flipped to his hands and swung his hips, hitting Kalbi's legs. The bull's bodymass sending him to the ground hard. Tatsumi used that momentum to leap above him. Kalbi looked up as Tatsumi foot hammered him in the face.

He sprawled across the ground as Tatsumi landed gracefully a few feet away. Black was already creeping across his vision.

Tatsumi realized the fight was over. _"Jeeze...I didn't mean to hit him so hard last time. I shouldn't give so much away about my strength."_

The announcer shouted, "THAT WILL BE ALL! TATSUMI THE BLACKSMITH IS THE WINNER!"

The crowd which had been sitting in stunned silence erupted in approval. Tatsumi saw Leone and Lubbock in their seats cheering him on. _"Wow...Everyone is cheering for me..I DID IT!_ Tatsumi pumped his fist in the air grinning.

 **Ooo**

Up in the observation box, Esdeath had leaned forward, her eyes focused on the graceful acrobatic movements of the young man who had just crushed Kalbi. _"_ _Oh…yes.. They did save the best for last. I can't believe that one so young has skills like that.."_

Her cheeks tinged pink as he grinned, pumping his fist in the air. _"_ _That smile…he looks so innocent… and perfect…"_ Esdeath's shifted and stood quickly, eager to go down and meet him face to face. By her side Run was frowning. His usual relaxed posture had turned to one of surprise.

"He didn't even draw his sword…" Run sounded astonished as he glanced at her, "Do you think he is a candidate for an Imperial Arms?"

Esdeath nodded, "Quite, but he's also a candidate… for… something else." She smiled and stepped forward, descending the steps to the arena floor.

"Commander?" he asked, somewhat confused. Esdeath didn't answer him as she passed into the sunlight.

 **Ooo**

Tatsumi stiffened as he saw Esdeath coming down the steps towards him. She was wearing a uniform, crisp and clean. It was obvious that she wore it in to battle. The way she walked, the way her perfect composer seemed to be genuine. She looked every inch the general. Her manner was that of someone who feared nothing.

It made him feel extremely vulnerable...but she couldn't read his mind. So she was just going to be a tournament host giving a prize to the winner, instead of General Esdeath giving an award to a member of Night Raid. That idea almost made him smirk. _"_ _But why does SHE have to come down to the ring? I hope she wasn't that impressed by my match...damn I knew I showed off too much."_

A few moments later Esdeath stopped in front of him. She looked him up and down as he did the same. She was tall and slender with the palest skin he'd ever seen, like fine porcelain. Her hair was a light blue with hints of lavender. And her eyes were the deep blue of artic ice. The bangs that hung over her face complimented her...almost too perfect beauty. It wasn't a harsh beauty either as he had seen of the noble girls in the capital. It was a beauty that could only be gained by the mixing of blood lines...She was not from the capital. Tatsumi noticed a black symbol that lay centered, just above her bust. It was strange and at first he thought it had been a necklace.

His gaze was drawn upwards to her face, her cheeks, which were tinted like a rose. _"_ _Is she…blushing?"_ Esdeath smiled warmly, her pink lips showing the hint of a smirk as well. Tatsumi tried to get a sense for her with his innate ability to read body language. Her movements were friendly and.. welcoming.

He didn't relax though

Esdeath took a good look at him up close. He was of medium height, but he was also young, without his first real growth. He might have been 15...16. Either that or he was actually short for his age. He had brown hair and bright green eyes. Not a common color...she instantly liked them. He had cute face that had the first hints of becoming become handsome as he grew older. One thing that wasn't young were his muscles. He was undeniably strong and fast.

His smile seemed to have become slightly fixed, or uneasy. She knew that she had that affect on most people. Taking another step forward she said, "Your win just now was magnificent...I'd like to give you a reward." Reaching in to her military jacket her finger searched for the "item" she had brought just in case.

Tastsumi watched her searching her jacket for something, on alert now. He body language had just changed. _"Well even though I'm taking it from the enemy...money is money. I'll gratefully accept it."_ He said, "Thank you."

She found what she was looking for and stepped even closer. Then her hands were around his neck and he heard a faint -snick- of a latch closing. He looked down. She was holding a chain in her hand which led to the smooth collar around his neck. "Huh?"

She smiled down at him saying, "From now on you belong to me." Her sweet voice in deadly contrast to what she had just said.

"WH-WHAT?!"

She started dragging him away. "It's too distracting out here...come to my palace."

He tried to shout, "Wait! Hold on...Wait I'm not going!"

Then a hand came down on the back of his neck. His eyes went wide as his body went limp. Black was crashing down around his vision and he thought, _"What did she just do to me?"_ He heard her whisper quietly, "Let's talk in my room... just the two of us."

Esdeath picked him up, smelling him. He didn't even smell sweaty. He smelled clean and fresh. She began to walk out of the arena, leaving the shocked crowd to watch them leave. In the audience Leone and Lubbock felt themselves go several seconds without their hearts beating. Lubbock turned to her as she looked to him. They both cried out, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

 **I was originally planning on dropping the story in favor of turning it into a Naruto/Akame ga kill fic, but everyone responded with the answer "DON'T DO IT" so... I won't. I will do my best to continue the story as is guys. Anyway, on to chapter two.**

 **Remember to review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**And here is the next chapter. Hope everyone likes the revisions I'm doing... I might even get interested in my own story again... Hm? Oh right. That came out wrong. What I meant to say was I would update soon.. hehe**

 **I don't own any part of Akame ga Kill**

 _ **Chapter 2**_

When Tatsumi felt himself coming to he was lying in a bed. He felt much more comfortable than he would have expected. His mind was still slow as he lie there. _"_ _Ah… I kep forgetting how nice the beds are here. I wonder what Akame is making for breakfast this time.."_

He tried to sit up but found himself entrapped. Tatsumi opened his eyes slowly and turned his head. His heart stopped. Esdeath...was...right...there. Her face was inches from his and one slender arm was around him. She was...asleep. A warm breath ghosted past his face. Her breath smelled like… cinnamon? That froze him for a moment as his lethargic mind tired to process this… situation.

 _"Holy crap...! She's...she's sleeping with me...What the fuck!?"_

He forced himself to sit up and her arm fell away. Tatsumi heard a slight murmur. He turned back to Esdeath. She was talking in her sleep. He leaned over cautiously to listen, _"Come...on...why won't you just lay still...it only takes a moment..."_ She rolled over on her back and Tatsumi felt a fatal nosebleed approaching. She was naked...completely naked, her pale breasts and the pink nipples completely exposed. Esdeath lips curled into a small smile as she rolled over again.

Tatsumi quickly and quietly got out of bed and realized that he himself was...well nearly naked too. All he had was underwear. He looked around in a rush, but there weren't any clothes anywhere that he saw...except for Esdeath's uniform which hung on a nearby wall.

He thought, _"Ok ok...calm down. There is nothing to be worried about. Nothing at all. She doesn't know who I really am. All I need to do is play it safe...But what if she is going to try to recruit me into the empires army...?! I couldn't escape without being branded as a deserter, which is a serious crime. Damn! How do I get...!"_

Two warm arms wrapped around his neck. Esdeath murmured in his ear as her fingers crawled up his torso, "What are you up to love?" His entire body went rigid at her touch and his mind instantly conjured a thousand horrid ways to die. Then she kissed him on the shoulder. She spoke softly, "Tatsumi...it's a nice name...a sweet name. You're my Tatsumi ok. Now come back to bed. I never get up _this_ early."

Her perfume...or was it her natural scent seemed to grab hold of him. It was sweet and slightly... buttery. Like the pastries that the village baker made back home. Esdeath dragged him back to bed. Once she had him reinstalled under the heavy blankets she snuggled down close to him. Her eyes closed and her hand smoothed over his chest again. She was asleep in moments. Tatsumi forced himself...through an effort of sheer will, to breathe normally. It was hard...really hard. He was caught between hyperventilating and holding his breath. He hoped...prayed that someone from Night Raid would come rescue him. For one thing. Even if nothing else happened, he would never get any sleep under these circumstances.

 **Ooo**

 **Oooooo**

 **Ooo**

 _-Night Raid hideout-_

Leone, Mine, Lubbock, and Akame stood around the strategy table in the planning room. Akame felt like she was having a heart attack every time Lubbock or Leone said something about Esdeath. That...girl...woman...animal...demon...ice woman... She didn't even know what to call her and it was giving her chills to think that Tatsumi was trapped with her. And the fact that she most likely would find out who he was...didn't bear thinking about. _"_ _Tatsumi… please be safe…"_

Leone said, "So that's the situation. Tatsumi is captured, though he is most likely still in good health, it doesn't change anything."

Mine asked irately, "Why didn't the idiot try to tell her he couldn't go. And even then he could have run. But now we have to risk our lives to save his dumb ass!"

An annoyed groan came from Lubbock, "There's no good solution at the moment. Until we can infiltrate her palace or get some other information we can't attempt anything."

"Leone and Lubbock you go into the city and try to dig up some information on Esdeath and her retinue. Leone especially. I want you to see if you can get Tatsumi in sight. See if they have a schedule their keeping to. Mine and I will move back to a more secluded base for now and until the boss returns." Akame croaked out the orders feeling as though her throat was too tight for the words.

Leone growled, "If I get the chance can I kill Esdeath?"

Akame nodded reluctantly, "But she holds the most powerful of all the imperial arms that the capital has. If she senses you you'll have no chance against her."

Leone shrugged, "Well what can I say I case the place and if I see an opportunity to sink my claws in...I will. Hey Lubbock! We better get going if we want to be in the capital before dark." They both left the room, leaving Mine and Akame to plan their own departure.

Mine said, "You know...I was just remembering something that Bulat told me a long time ago...when I first joined."

Akame looked up at her expectantly. Mine didn't often share her true feelings or memories. The pink haired girl said, "It was back when we were having all that trouble with our Imperial Arms. You know when that guy tried to infiltrate Night Raid and was tampering with Incursio and my Punkin. Bulat told me after all that was over that when he had first been given Incursio to try on, he thought it was pointless. That he was strong enough without it."

The dark haired assassin raised an eyebrow. She hadn't known Bulat long enough to know what he was like before he donned his armor. Mine explianed, "Bulat told me that his compatibility with Incursion was about ten percent."

Akame asked, "So...how does that..?"

Mine interjected, "I asked him if he thought that Tatsumi might match Incursio. This was just before they went out and...he died... Bulat told me...that Tatsumi had more like an eighty percent chance to bond with it."

That surprised Akame. She had known that Bulat held a high opinion of Tatsumi and it was true that he himself had struggled to master all of Incursio's abilities, but she had never known that they were that different in regards to their power.

Mine continued, "What I'm saying is that if Tatsumi ever becomes as strong as bulat...and I'm not saying he will!...but he might...MIGHT...be the strongest member of Night Raid and he might be the only one of us who could fight Esdeath head on."

With that Mine left as well. Akame sighed and turned, leaving the room by another door.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tatsumi reflected that things could be worse. He sat on the bed while Esdeath showered. It was driving him slightly crazy though. He had fallen asleep again, basically in Esdeath's arms. It disturbed him greatly and that wasn't all. Tatsumi was fighting hard to see her as the cruel person everyone said she was. He hadn't really seen any of that...Well she had kidnapped him, but it was a far cry from what other people said about her. And it was obviously true that she loved him. There was no way she was faking...at least he didn't think it was possible. His hand moved to his lips where she had kissed him, waking him up for the second time that morning. He quickly banished the memory. It would not serve him well.

But… _"_ _Damn it… I can't see her like that. If I start looking at her like that then I won't be able to fight her when the time comes!"_

As he thought to himself about his situation, he didn't hear the shower cut out. Neither did he hear her approach as she wrapped a towel around her graceful form. He did hear her comment, "A deep thinker Tatsumi? Another thing I think makes you perfect for me." Her arms were around him in a second and her head rested on his.

His body fought between the urge to relax… and to shudder. She coed, "Today I think I'll introduce you to your fellow Jaegers and then...I'll take you to see the Imperial armory. I want to see if you take a fancy to any of the imperial arms we have." She moved to where she could sit next to him saying, "We have around 12 unused Imperial arms. Fully a fourth of the ones in existence. And that doesn't count the ones already bonded to us."

Her face turned to his and she said, "But I'll tell you a little secret. I'm the only general who has been told. You see Imperial Arms are widely known to be the most powerful artifacts in the land, however they are by no means the only ones. I myself have several non Imperial artifacts in my collection. And they don't have the unfortunate 1 person, one weapon limit." Her hand raised to point at her long saber which hung on a rack near her door. That is a little artifact I picked up even before I was a general. It's called Voediken and it was made in the far north. It's forged from the teeth of a danger beast knows as the Ice dragon. They aren't actually dragons but they look similar."

Tatsumi nodded and hesitantly asked, "Um..where are my clothes? or my sword?"

She smiled, "Your sword is over there by mine. And your clothes...I sent for new ones. I want my chosen one to look the part."

Tatsumi shivered. He felt like the temperature had just dropped ten degrees. Esdeath apologized, "Sorry for that Tatsumi...I do control ice after all...I was just think about how you might look in uniform..." She seemed to become pensive.

 _"Now's my chance to as her something that will help me escape or at least get her to trust me more so I can start working on a plan."_ He asked, "Um...Esdeath?"

Hey eyes moved back to him and she reasserted her arms original positions around him. "Yes Tatsumi?"

He steeled himself to ask. He hoped she wasn't a paranoid person. "What is your Imperial arm?"

Her smile was warm and happy...unnervingly kind. She turned her body to face him and gestured to her bust, then took his hand and placed it over the strange black symbol on her skin. He asked, "It's that?"

She nodded, "This is the mark of my Imperial Arm. It is Majin Kengen Demonzu Ekisu. But it's common name is the Demon's Extract. I am the first being in history to successfully bond with it."

That was defiantly something to worry about. If she was strong enough to use that Imperial arm, how was anyone supposed to defeat her?

Esdeath whispered, "I think you're special too. That's why I want to try a few of the artifacts out on you...see if we can get a good reaction." The tips of her fingers continued to trace over him as she spoke. Her perfume was getting to him. It reminded him so much of his home and their little bakery. It almost made him forget himself as it dredged up more memories of home. A nibble at his neck snapped him back to reality. Esdeath was looking at him intensely. Her lips were pressed together and she looked...hesitant.

"Tatsumi...I want you to know that I love you...the moment I saw you smile after your fight at the arena. But I also am a general and I didn't get this position for being able to kill people better than others. I was made a commander because I could command."

He nodded, wondering where she was going with this. It seemed completely different from her usual talk. It was like she was preparing him...or her for something. Then he had a flash of something… Incursio almost spoke to him in his mind, warning of imminent danger.

Esdeath said, "I know that you're a member of Night Raid. I knew from the moment I touched your skin to mine. My blood told me that you had an Imperial Arm...and one I have seen before. In fact it is one that a former servant of mine knew about in great detail."

Tatsumi felt the breath escape him and his heart seized. He thought, _"I am royally screwed... no... wait... I'm dead. Just dead..."_

Esdeath put a hand on his chest, over his heart. "I took you here knowing who you are. Do you understand? I don't care..."

He thought he must have heard her wrong. Then she said, "I suspected that Night Raid might send someone to fight in the tournament. I knew they would want to scout me out in a public setting. I was originally planning on executing the first person I suspected, but no one showed any skill till you came along...and stole my heart..."

Tatsumi looked away, "So what will you do now? Are you going to tell me that I should stay here with you and abandon my friends in Night Raid. Or are you offering a place in the Capital for me? I don't want either of those. So that probably means that you will say that if you can't have me then no one can... right?"

Esdeath nodded, "That is how I would have looked at it two days ago...but I decided that I want you. I don't give a damn about the Capital...or Night Raid. I care about who is the strongest. Right now that is me." Esdeath's voice dropped to a low whisper, "And you. I won't kill you...That would be letting death take you...I won't let that happen. You are mine!"

That shocked him. He sat there slack jawed. It was...too much. It was almost like someone had just told him that he was going to be torn apart by a group of beautiful naked women. He didn't know whether to be pleased or horrified. He thought, _"She doesn't care about the capital...she doesn't care about Night Raid...not the revolution. No one...but me and apparently herself. If she is telling the truth...I can tell her that I will stay with Night Raid. If...if she'd serious...then she would join them!"_

Taking the gamble he said, "If...if that's is what you want. I guess I can't say no..."

Esdeath's face turned to what he could only describe as joy. She kissed him long on the lips. It lasted minutes and when she at last drew back she said, "That is all I wanted to hear. You will be mine from now on. I will make you into a great general and we will fight together...always..."

It seemed that in the course of a day she had planned out the rest of her life with him. He said, "But..."

She looked up at him, her smile fading, "But what?"

He tried to express it in a way she would understand, "You see...It's just that I can't join the capital. They are a plague that eats away at the people. It needs to be destroyed, especially the prime minister. He is the most corrupt man in this country! I can't serve in the capital if it means helping him! I joined Night Raid to help my home village which was being bled dry by tax collectors. Both my best friends form my childhood were tortured to death by nobles from the Capital..."

Tatsumi's eyes flashed as he growled, "I won't work for that monster."

She nodded, "Ok...so you refuse to serve the capital?"

He stared straight into her eyes and said, "Yes."

Her lips formed the next question. "And just who do you want to serve?"

Tatsumi said, "No one! I just want to help my friends and my village. I want to cleanse the Capital so that there can be peace!"

"But what about nature. The strong will always rule, feed on, and defeat the weak. Why should either you or I care if the Capital is corrupt? If they are the strong, then they deserve to do what they want."

Tatsumi snapped, "That isn't how people are. We only have the Capital and other cities because we can live together without doing each other harm! Don't you get it? It isn't strength when the minister uses the people till they starve to death. It's a form of weakness in its self. If he can't see past his own greed then he is weaker than them! I probably sacrificed my chance at peace by joining Night Raid. How does that make me weak. I'm stronger because I made a difficult choice!"

Esdeath asked, "So you believe that by taking a hard road, you have the chance to prove yourself stronger than those who use the weak as stepping stones?" He nodded. She smiled, "Do you want to know why I choose to fight for the Capital?"

Tatsumi narrowed his eyes, "Yes...very much."

She said, "Because they allow me to do what I want. And what I want is to find the greatest challenge and rise above it. I will be content ONLY when there are no more equals, no more betters. Do you understand what I desire?"

She leaned in close. "I want to be at the top of the food chain. I want fear and respect from all... and...I want you beside me." Her pupils seemed to widen and she said, "I will be..."

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by the door to the room banging open. A young man stepped in. He bowed quickly to Esdeath saying, "Uh sorry for barging in like this but that old man you were talking about is ready to open the vault."

Esdeath gave him a thin smile, laced with as much malice as she could muster, "That's good Wave. I'll speak with you later." Wave saw her expression and turned white with fear. He did a quick about face, shutting the door quickly behind him.

Tatsumi blinked, "Uh… wasn't that the announcer from the tournament?"

Her eyes flicked back to him. Esdeath shrugged minimally. "He is a member of the Jaegers that I have recruited. He also comes from out of the country like you… now, back to what we were discussing before.

Tatsumi nodded, thinking, _"Ok...ok...this is more than I ever could have dreamed. Could it be that I could...no I won't jinx myself. I will just ask."_ He asked, "Esdeath...would you join Night Raid to be with me?"

Her head snapped to her right. Her eyes were cold, "No...I wouldn't. I myself refuse to serve under Najenda." She brought her face closer to him, her eyes two inches from his own, "However if you promise to stay with me, I will make your goals my own...under one condition."

Tatsumi couldn't speak...it was so close. Would she really devote herself to destroying the Capital for him?

She said, "I want to be Empress and I want you to be Emperor."

He choked, "What!" Why!?"

She said simply, "Because that is a goal that is worthy of my talent...and it is the only position that would truly make me..." Esdeath's cheeks turned slightly pink, "...perfect..."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tatsumi could feel excitement building in him. He had convinced Esdeath to defect from the Empire. She wouldn't join Night Raid, but she agreed to help destroy the Capital's corrupt heart. And she was doing it for him. He couldn't believe it. It made him want to...well...actually want to...-gulp-...kiss her. It wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it was. She seemed to be an honorable person, who had been raised to believe that only the strong deserved to survive. He could understand that. It was something she was probably taught from the cradle.

It probably helped her case that she was gorgeous. He shuddered, remembering her body against his. Tatsumi shook his head as he looked out over the balcony that showed the view of the Capital. It was a stunning view.

He wished that the Capital was pure so that the image he saw could be a true representation of what lay beneath. White walls should house innocent people and clean streets should speak to diligence instead of fear. Tatsumi heard a sound behind him. It was the distinct sound of Esdeath's stride. He thought, _"She's been gone for an hour...I wonder what she was up to."_ He turned and his eyes fell on her. His blood ran cold.

There was a jagged cut across her belly and it bled a deep crimson. He ran to her, "Esdeath what happened?!" He was panicking and he knew it.

She reached a hand out to him, using his shoulder to steady herself. Esdeath gasped out, "I...underestimated him..surprised me ... Go ... he hit me good...I won't make it more than a day like this and with guards on the way...I won't get medical treatment here. Leave me and I will take out as many of them as I can...Go!"

He shook his head, _"NO no no noNO_ _ **NO!"**_ Tatsumi drew his Incursio and activated it. The light from the blade wrapped around him and the feel of tight armor covering him gave him confidence. He said, "I made a promise an hour ago. I'm not breaking it yet!" He was so close. This couldn't be happening right now!

Tatsumi was on the edge of panicking. _"_ _What the hell did she go do?! Don't tell me she actually and tried to attack the minister!?"_

He ducked and picked her up. Her protest was cut short by her gasp of pain. Tatsumi heard more footsteps now. _"Guards...Royal guards. Every one of them a skilled fighter. I can't take too many of them and I have to get Esdeath somewhere safe..."_ He turned to the balcony. He looked down at Esdeath in his arms. She was paler that normal. A testament to blood loss he guessed. _"I just promised to help her become the most powerful woman alive and she promised to make the Capital pure again. I can't let her die now."_ He leaned out over the sheer drop from the balcony. Tatsumi said, "He goes...!"

Esdeath's eyes widened, "Wait Tatsumi you couldn't survived from this heit...!" He jumped off just as the door burst open behind them.

It was a long fall and he had a surprising amount of time to watch the city rocket closer. It was beautiful... The second his feet touched the ground he was dashing though the streets. Too fast for most people to even see. Esdeath had pushed her head into him to protect her face from the cutting wind.

He was out of the Capital in minutes, blasting the main gates off their hinges. But he didn't slow down. He kept going, and now that he was out in the open country, he increased his speed even more. The scenery blurred past at the point where he couldn't even see details. He was heading on a straight course for home base.

 **There it is... ah well, not much to say on this one, but remember to review anyway!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 revision is here at last. Well, my chapters should be about this length from now on. I might just post a new chapter if I get it done. (this weekend that is)**

 **Just letting you guys know that I've re-thought out the pairings.**

 **Tatsumi will have Esdeath as the main pairing, with Akame and Mine occupying the second place equally. I decided against Seryu being part of the harem. Honestly she is bat shit crazy and she hates Mine. So that's a no on crazy robot girl… besides at this point I'm not sure I'm interested in writing "lemons" for her. They wouldn't actually be lemons… they'd be…Iphones….**

 **And Leone will also be in the Harem. I decided to take back my earlier assertion after looking though the plot for the story again. However she will come in later on.**

 **Lastly I will most likely add Chelsea.**

 **Now… you guys know I don't own any part of Akame ga Kill…. Right?**

 ** _Chapter 3_**

Mine an Akame were in the main chamber of the Night Raid base when they heard a massive boom echo down the halls. Akame and Mine whirled around, their hands already going to weapons. Then they heard a voice, "Akame!? Leone?! Mine?! Lubbock!? Where are you guys?!"

The two girls looked at each other in shock. Then they were running through the base to where Tatsumi's voice came from. When they realized he was in the infirmary they slowed down. Neither of them too eager to see if he had escaped unscathed or injured.

They walked through the door and stopped dead. Tatsumi was lying a girl...with blue hair...and a general's badge, down on the bed. He turned to see them enter. Akame looked utterly shocked. It was the first time he'd seen that expression on her. Mine's face was a carbon copy of Akame's. If he hadn't been worried about Esdeath and their reaction to her, it would have been funny.

The first words out of Mine's mouth were not the ones he expected, "Damn you Tatsumi, Why did you have to let her drag you off like that. We wore worried sick about you!"

He said, "Yeah I know, but can one of you help me?" He really didn't think this was the right conversation to be having at the moment. What was Mine thinking. The first reaction she had to a severely injured person was shouting at him?!

Akame stepped forward. "She is the enemy. Why did you bring her here?"

Tatsumi said, "Because she isn't the enemy anymore ok! Just help me heal her. Then I'll explain everything." Akame nodded, though she wasn't too pleased to have the Empire's general of ice in their home base, she would trust in Tatsumi this time. However Mine was not so accepting.

"YOU IDIOT! Do you have any clue who she is?! She's the BUTCHER of the north. She would kill us all without a second thought if the Capital asked her to. And she'd probably torture us for fun while she did it! You Idiot, stupid stupid stupid! Bulat was wrong, you aren't worthy of Incursio. Your Imperial Arm had a mental breakdown after he died!"

Mine seemed to run out of breath. Tatsumi said, "Esdeath defected from the capital. She's under my protection until she recovers."

Mine didn't seem to hear. She glared at him and said, "I hate the capital, and that means her too. Heal her Tatsumi, but if she makes so much as a wrong move, I'll blow her to pieces!" Mine turned to Akame before leaving, "I'm going to report this to the boss."

Akame watched her go and then turned slowly back to him. She looked to the pale sleeping Esdeath. Sometime during Mine's explosive shouting she must have drifted into unconsciousness. Her wound looked deep, but not all together life threatening. She had seen much more grievous wounds. And in fact had suffered worse in her life. Akame asked Tatsumi who looked stricken, "How was she injured?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. She went off somewhere after we talked and when she came back she had that wound. Then the palace guards showed up and knocked down the door. I jumped off the balcony to escape."

She nodded and stepped forward to inspect Esdeath. She quickly removed her own sword and armor. Then peeled back the fabric over Esdeath's belly. It showed a deep clean cut, like a red crescent, just below her belly button. Tatsumi winced and Akame said, "It's very deep, but she will recover, as long as she doesn't lose to much more blood...Tatsumi, get me those bandages over there and wet some washcloths." He jumped to it, gathering supplies and depositing them with Akame.

Her expression set as she started to clean the wound. Fortunately there was no grit or debris that needed removal. She quickly ducked under the bed to grab a case with surgical tools. She opened the clasp on the black leather box and the lid popped open. She removed twine and a needle. "Tatsumi, Close the wound while I stitch it closed."

He nodded and stepped forward. He pressed his fingers to either side of the cut and Akame quickly and skillfully stared to sew it closed. It was a grisly feeling, her soft pale skin dyed red from the blood. Even in her unconscious state Esdeath's face twisted in pain. He felt bad for her getting hurt like this. When she had promised to help defeat the corruption in the capital he had anticipated that they would stay there to keep up appearances so he could contact his friends and explain the situation.

Then they would have had an easy time gathering information and launching attacks. But She had done something to get herself caught. And what didn't make sense was who could have injured her like this. By all measures she was the strongest Imperial Arm user in the palace. Was there some secret enemy that the Capital that was a match for Esdeath?

Akame completed the stitching and grabbed the roll of bandages. She instructed, "Lift her up." He did so and Akame wrapped her wound tightly. Then he lay her back down. Akame stood up saying, "She will be fine, but you should keep an eye on her."

He nodded, _"For more than one reason. I've never seen Mine s angry before. She might have tried to kill Esdeath if I wasn't here."_ Tatsumi said, "Thank you Akame, I owe you one."

She blinked and said, "Not really. You owe me nothing. If she tries anything then you will owe me an apology but other than that..." She turned and left the room, her hands still bloody.

Tatsumi turned to look back at the sleeping Esdeath. As an afterthought he picked up the blanket and folded it over her. Then he took a seat next to her, keeping an eye out for a certain wrathful pinket.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Leone opened the door to the main hall and stepped aside letting an exhausted Lubbock in. He complained, "Jeeze. I've ever had such a hard time getting out of the capital after a reconnaissance mission.

Leone agreed, "That place was swarming with royal guards. I'm just glad we got out when we did."

He nodded and twisted his neck till he felt a satisfying pop. He groaned, "What I don't get is we didn't see so much of a blue hair from Esdeath and you didn't even catch a trace of Tatsumi's scent." Leone shrugged and kept walking, stretching as she went.

Lubbock saw Akame reading down the hall. He walked over to her grinning, "That's a great position for you Akame. You should sit like that more often."

She was sitting upside down in the chair, so her head rested on the seat and her legs draped over the back. She said, her face still hidden by the book, "Leone...would you break a few fingers. The pervert needs a lesson."

Leone cracked her knuckles, "As you command, since you are in charge it's an order right, so don't feel bad Lubbock. I'm only doing what I'm told."

He went pale as he shouted, "Wait wait! No need for that Akame!"

The black haired girl shrugged, "I was joking...don't break more than three Leone."

Leone burst out laughing, "Hey Akame, what has you in such a humorous mood?"

She didn't answer. Lubbock sighed and straightened up. "Well...now if you're done making fun of me, we have nothing to report, besides the palace being an angry beehive right now. We barely got in and we almost got caught escaping."

Akame asked, "Did anyone recognize you?"

He shook his head, "Nah, we were pretty careful. But we didn't see hide nor hair of Tatsumi or Esdeath."

Akame closed the book, "For good reason."

"Huh?"

Akame said, "Tatsumi convinced Esdeath to defect. They're both in infirmary. Esdeath is injured but she'll recover."

Lubbock pinched himself...no, he wasn't dreaming. He used a finger to clean the dirt out of his ears, "Uh...I'm sure I didn't hear what you just said, "Something about Tatsumi and Esdeath right?"

Akame said it again, rephrasing her words, "Tatsumi rescued Esdeath. She's sleeping in the infirmary and he's with her."

Leone and Lubbock looked at each other, trying not to let their shock take control. Leone asked, "What was He thinking?! Esdeath is the enemy and one of our most powerful foes. Why did he bring her here?!"

She shrugged. "Ask him yourself." Then she opened her book again.

Leone nodded to Lubbock and they headed to the infirmary.

 **Ooo**

The door burst open as they rushed in. The first thing they saw was Tatsumi. He was snoozing in a chair by the bed. On the bed, now wearing only her white undershirt and panties...was Esdeath. A blanket had been pulled up to her waist, which bulged over the large bandage. The first thing that Lubbock realized was, _"Holy crap, her breasts are even bigger than Leone's!"_ His second realization was that she was stunningly beautiful up close.

She was also asleep.

Leone stepped to the side of the bed. Esdeath looked so peaceful...and yes...attractive. Her hair was splayed over the covers and pillow. Leone saw her lips move slightly. She ducked her head to listen. Esdeath's voice rose and fell with her breathing. It was hard to make out...until she heard, "Tatsumi..kun..." Leone bolted up straight and looked down at Esdeath. She didn't know what to think. She turned to Tatsumi and put a hand on his shoulder.

He woke up immediately, but he was still exhausted, the use of Incursio had drained him more than he wanted to admit.

Leone said, "Go to bed Tatsumi."

He nodded sleepily and stood, before shambling out of the room.

Lubbock said quietly, "I've never seen him so tired since he started train with Bulat. Leone nodded and sniffed Esdeath.

"She is badly injured like Akame said, but it's not as deep as it seems. From the smell...she could be up and walking tomorrow if she's as strong as they say."

Lubbock shivered, "That's what I'm worried about."

"I know."

Lubbock asked, "What are we going to do with her?"

Leone didn't know but said, "That is up to Akame right now. Although if I know her, she's probably more worried about Tatsumi...she likes him."

Lubbock smirked, "Yeah, seems like ALL the girls are falling for him. What were saying earlier? If he turns out to be as handsome as you think...you'd steal him?"

Leone put her hands on her hips and she turned to leave the room. She said, "Yeah...so what... it's easy to like him. For one thing he's not a pervert...like you." Lubbock followed her out saying, "Hey that's not completely fair ya know!"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 _-the next morning-_

Esdeath opened her eyes. She was warm under thick covers, but she missed her bed mate. Rolling on her side she examined the room she was in. _"A small infirmary? Or a closed room in a larger ward? Hard to tell from here."_ She wanted to stay in bed but the sound of people... strangers, going about their business would be a hard background for falling back asleep. There was a shout from down the hall, away from her.

"LUBBOCK! Get back here! I'm gonna break your neck this time you pervert! Najenda isn't here to save you this time!"

Esdeath smirked. _"It sounds just like a morning with the Jaegers. I guess all Imperial Arms users will have their own quirks...but Tatsumi, he's the most well adjusted one I've met so far. He isn't unstable... where is he?"_ She tested her power and found that she'd lost too much blood. _"Damn...I won't be able to defend myself...I'll...have to trust Tatsumi..."_ Esdeath forced herself to sit up.

Pain bit sharply into her belly, but he paid it no mind. Someone had stitched and bandaged the wound so she wasn't in the red anymore. As it was though, it still took a few tries to get out of bed. When she was standing...barely, she reached down and found the micro thin necklace chain that was round her neck. Then she pulled it up till she could reach the tiny glass vial at the end.

She had made it a few days before and it contained a few drops of Tatsumi's blood that she had taken while he was sleeping. The necklace was another insurance against him leaving her. As long as he was within a few leagues of her, she could accurately track him. The vial would warm in her hand the closer she drew to him. She smiled and she steadied herself.

Esdeath moved slowly to the door, then opened it and stepped through. She was in a stone corridor with a high ceiling and long windows near the top which admitted light. She made her way to the left. Her intuition telling her to go in that direction. The vial heated up quickly and she made another left and then opened the door to her right.

Inside was darker, but still, Tatsumi was visible. He was asleep. Esdeath stepped inside and approached the bed. When she was close she bent down and pulled the covers back. Then she slipped in beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder. It was quieter down this way now.. Esdeath let herself drift back to sleep.

 **Ooo**

Tatsumi woke to the feeling of something warm and soft pressing against him...again. He opened his eyes slowly and turned his head. It was Esdeath. She was clutching at him possessively, her legs entwined with his and one arm over his chest. He could tell she was asleep. He thought, " _How the hell. She left the infirmary and came to my room! Jeeze she's insistent. I mean...she doesn't seem..as bad..but still. Does she have to sleep with me?"_

Almost on que she murmured and held him tighter. His cheeks flamed red. He was fighting the urge to turn and respond...wrap his arm around her... She was… enticing. More than he could say.

He shook his head. It might have been a natural urge, but if at any time he showed love or affection to her...she would hold on to him twice at tightly. Esdeath was used to getting her way in most things. And at the moment it seemed he was her sole interest...he wasn't at all sure how he was going to prevent her from having her way. He'd already promised to stay with her.

To his left the door banged open and Akame, along with Lubbock rushed in. They came to a screeching halt as they saw Tatsumi sit up. Esdeath came with the movement, sitting up as well. She muttered, "Too early again...Go back to sleep."

Tatsumi shook her gently, "Esdeath wake up."

A sigh escaped her, "Tatsumi..."

Akame and Lubbock were too shocked to move or speak. Tatsumi said, "Um...morning...?"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

The main dining room was silent for breakfast. Akame sat across from Tatsumi. Esdeath sat to Tatsumi's right. Mine sat across from Lubbock who was on Tatsumi's left. They all sat with the heavy weight of expectation across them. Leone came out of the kitchen and took the seat to Esdeath's right.

She glanced at the blue haired young woman beside her. Esdeath had thus far, not spoken yet. She wondered why. Leone decided to break the silence. She said, "So Esdeath...you're not exactly what I expected."

Esdeath looked at her then the rest of the table. She admitted, "I was thinking the same thing actually." She paused for a moment, "So you're the infamous Leone. It's amusing."

Mine bristled but Leone decided to take it as a compliment. She asked, "And what's amusing about me?"

Esdeath looked back at their plate. "Most of my fellow generals think you're a man. Actually, most of the capitals higher ups do."

She snickered at that, grinning at Akame, "Hey I told you they have no clue who I am. They can't even get my sex right."

Esdeath coughed, "Don't get too excited. It's just the idiotic men who think that. The prime minister knows you're a woman."

Leone raised an eyebrow. "And how does he know that exactly?"

"The belt of Leonnel only chooses females. It's hasn't allowed a male to wear it in over 700 years. The chances that you were a man were very slim."

Leone grinned, "I wondered if anyone knew about that...I figure that the capital doesn't tell much to it commanders. Is that why everyone is wrong about us?"

She nodded, "Pretty much."

From across the table Akame asked, "How do you know the prime minister?"

Esdeath had to think about that one. Eventually she said, "He's been there as long as I've been alive...When I was first joining he was a distant shadow. He only became a part of my interactions when I was made a captain. Even then I only saw him once a month at general assembly or when I was called to court with my old general."

She took a bite of her food for the first time in ten minutes then continued, "After I started making a name for myself he offered me the chance to have an Imperial Arm. I accepted of course and soon after that I became a full general. After that he threw me at anything that wouldn't budge under his standard army. As you know my last assignment was to destroy the resistance from the north."

Akame nodded, "You defeated them far easier than anyone expected. How?" Esdeath smirked wickedly. She leaned back her blue eyes focused on Akame's red ones.

"The leader of the resistance was a young man with a powerful non Imperial artifact, but he had grown overconfident in his ability. He was a sweet talker though. He made a grand speech about not wasting lives and "How about us two settle this." The idiot challenged me to a dual. It's very simple. I won. But his men didn't take kindly to his defeat. They attacked us and with their greatest warrior already captured, they couldn't possibly win. The only reason we stayed so long was because he had allies from the east that kept playing catch at the borders."

No one was overly surprised by her story. Though she sounded like the overconfident one. Lubbock asked, "Why did you tell your men to loot and pillage their entire country!? That wasn't necessary was it?"

"Two reasons. First and foremost the strong do what they want. The weak either put up with it or become strong themselves. We won so why hold back? And Second, I control a massive army. It would be impossible to order everyone to have restraint even if my chain of command was perfect. It's far easier to tell them to do what they would have done anyway. Also...their more loyal when I give them what they want. I'm sure all of you understand that much."

Esdeath raised an eyebrow at Akame asking, "How long do you think my army would be effective if my men resented me?"

Akame shrugged, but her expression didn't change. Lubbock thought, _"So that is what Najenda meant when she said she was ruthlessly efficient. She doesn't waste time with morals it seems. I can't imagine what kind of people her parents were for her to turn out like this..."_

Leone stared at her for a moment. Then asked, "But we heard that all the money you were rewarded for the quick victory was sent north to your troops. If you don't care about them, why give them that money?"

Esdeath turned to look at her. "You misunderstand me. I don't care about money. And besides, I'm already rich. Sending the money north to the army just makes them trust me and want to serve better." Esdeath smiled thinly, "Besides it allows me to keep a normally impossible combination of perceptions at the same time. My men love me because we win, because I reward them, let them do what they want, and at the same time they think I'm modest and humble. However...they still fear me because I have a reputation as an interrogator and a vicious warrior."

Esdeath finished speaking and bent to eat before her breakfast was cold. Without warning Mine jumped up and shouted, "WHY ARE YOU ALL BEING SO DAMNED FRIENDLY!"

Tatsumi caught most of it and Leone put hands over her sensitive ears. Esdeath weathered the blast without so much as twitching. Eventually Tatsumi said, "She left the Capital, ok Mine. She's not really even a General anymore. She's helping us."

Mine glared at them. Then put her foot on the table, swinging around her weapon to point at Esdeath's head. "And how do we know that's the truth?" Mine's finger was poised over the trigger. It would only take a little push for her to blast half the table away.

Esdeath looked up into the barrel of Pumpkin. She said, "Because of Tatsumi." Mine raised one eyebrow dangerously, "EXPLA..."

Esdeath leaned over and kissed Tatsumi deeply. He turned red and even her own cheeks tinged pink. Mine's expression went from angry to surprised, to disbelieving and back to angry faster than a bullet. She tightened her grip on her weapon, her mouth tightening into a line of rage.

Akame blinked at the same time and dropped her fork. Her light red eyes focused on Tatsumi as her own cheeks were dusted with crimson.

Leone almost fell off the bench before she caught herself. Her delay in speaking making her and Lubbock's reply synchronize perfectly. "WHAT?!"

Esdeath twined her hand around Tatsumi's arm. She said, "He's the only reason I left. I will stay with him and since he wants to destroy the Capital, I will help." Her eyes fixed on Mine's. "Do you have a problem with that?" Her voice had gone suddenly cold, like a deep running frost flow. Lubbock and Leone inched away from her. The aura that had enveloped her was like a physical force.

Mine's finger tapped the trigger of Pumpkin as she said, "Yeah...I do have a problem with that. Are you trying to tell me you...you love HIM?!"

She nodded and let her aura dissipate, "That's right. I love Tatsumi." Mine's dark pink eyes met her blue ones. An invisible yet well perceived line formed between them. Mine was the first to blink. She put Pumpkin down and resumed her seat, seeming to ignore Esdeath. Tatsumi looked at Esdeath who was now frowning.

Leone coughed uneasily, "Hey...uh...don't mind Mine. She's usually like this."

Tatsumi looked across at Akame. She was still staring at him...she hadn't blinked. He asked, "Something wrong?" Akame shook her head and bent to finish her breakfast.

Eventually everyone finished eating. It was then That Mine asked, "So tell us all Esdeath...What does your Imperial arms do exactly?"

"Complete control over Ice." Esdeath hoped she wouldn't demand a demonstration. She wasn't anywhere near recovered yet and her strength was not up to a test."

Mine said exactly what she didn't want to hear, "Prove it then."

Esdeath tried to think of what would satisfy them. She couldn't create ice out of nothing in this state. _"To much blood loss, but I can do this..."_ Everyone noticed after a moment. It was getting colder. After Esdeath had focused her power for five minutes it was near freezing in the room.

Lubbock shivered. "We get it already...stop dropping the temperature." Esdeath released her powers gratefully. It was almost more than she could do. Sweat was beading in the small of her back under her clothes and her palms were damp. But her face and body language never changed.

Mine nodded and asked, "So that's interesting, but what's you weakness. We all have one. Lubbock has a limited amount of wire, though it's indestructible. My Pumpkin only gets really strong when I'm in trouble, and Leone smells like a wet dog after using her power. Even Tatsumi has a few weaknesses. He can gain resistance to almost anything, but only slowly. And it is extremely draining on his body."

There was a long silence before she said, "My attacks have drawbacks...but I have no major weakness. If there was an Imperial Arm that could match mine...as in fire to match my ice...I suppose that would be my weakness, but to my knowledge no such artifact exists."

Akame asked, "Do you know nothing of the Imperial Arms? The Emperor who made them built in a weakness to everyone just in case an enemy got a hold of one."

Esdeath sighed, "Perhaps I merely have yet to discover my weakness, after all I have only ever been defeated once."

Tatsumi asked, "But...I thought you were undefeated?!"

She shook her head and her shoulders dropped. "If that was true today...you wouldn't need to do any of this. I was defeated yesterday attacking the Prime Minister."

Everyone gaped at her. She said, "Tatsumi said that you wanted Prime Minister Honest dead. He's your biggest target so I called an urgent meeting with him. When I made my move he was ready. I don't know how and I didn't see how he injured me. I used one of my trump cards to escape."

The shock that she had directly attacked the Prime Minister was overshadowed by her statement of "one of my trump cards". Leone asked, "You have more than one!?"

Esdeath nodded. I have three. One can only be used once a day. The others take far longer to recover from."

Akame asked, "What are they?"

Esdeath bristled, "Their my trump cards! Why would I tell you!?"

Mine said, "You love Tatsumi right...and he's one of us. If you don't tell us it might put him in danger..."

That made Esdeath go still. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Fine...but don't expect to cajole me like that again. My first trump card allows me to freeze time. The minimum recovery is a day. If I freeze time for an extended period then it could take longer."

Tatsumi's eyes widened, along with everyone else's. Leone asked, "Wha...? How..? Why...?"

Esdeath looked at her amused. She said, "I made it for a special purpose..." She grinned and rested her head on his shoulder affectionately, "...preventing Tatsumi from escaping." He gulped and tried not to feel uneasy. It was very...distracting to have her hanging off him like that. And with her feelings towards him and the way she usually was, it was almost like she had a dual personality.

Mine looked over at Akame. The girl was staring fixedly at Tatsumi again. She nudged her and Akame blinked slowly and turned to her confused, "What?"

Mine muttered, "You were being weird again. It's freaky enough having her here so cut the creep factor." Akame paused, staring intensely at Mine until she started to feel like her skin was crawling.

Eventually Mine looked away and blew the hair out of her eyes. "Ok...be weird. It's not my problem after all." She really...really didn't like Esdeath. She was confident and powerful. She was attractive and tall. She was dominant and bossy and at the same time she was so...SO... close...to Tatsumi. It made her want to shoot her between those...pretty...blue eyes of hers. And not to mention that if she... _"No she wouldn't...no...she would...I wouldn't put it past her to try as soon as she recovers. ...Slut... If I...if I ..."_

Mine was violently jarred from her thoughts by Esdeath saying, "Yes...we slept together. It was... the night before last..." Mine's head whipped to look at her so fast there was a loud pop! and everyone stopped talking to look at her in turn. Lubbock chuckled and Akame blinked twice.

Esdeath seemed to freeze solid for a second. Then slowly...a look of suspicion crossed her face. Her eyes narrowing and her smile disappearing. Mine and Esdeath locked gazes again. A thought crossed Mine's mind, _"Oh...shit...she's gonna kill me. If she thinks I like him...she'll kill me to get rid of her rival. The moment no one is looking...I'm dead..."_

Esdeath thought, _"That little...She likes my Tatsumi. If she thinks I'm going to let her steal him from me she is SADLY mistaken."_

Mine squeaked, "I'm going out for target practice!" She grabbed her weapon and swung her leg over the bench, standing up in the same motion. Then she was gone. Tatsumi watched as Esdeath relaxed, to the point where her smile returned. He sighed gratefully. She was almost pleasant company when she wasn't agitated.

Lubbock asked the room humorously, "Hey...doesn't it seem a bit early for her training today...you know, by like two hours?"

No one answered and Leone asked, "Well Akame... What is out move from here? Do we pull back to the reserve base or do we stay here and wait for the boss?"

"We will stay here." She turned to Esdeath, "Will you tell us what you know of the capital? You will have a perspective that we don't have."

Esdeath agreed saying, "Of course. It wouldn't make sense if I didn't share what I know." She said, "But there are a few things I want to make clear. The first is that I am not part of Night Raid. I will...not take orders from Najenda. I have already defeated her once. She is beneath me. Second, "I will need your help retrieving some items from a secret room in my wing of the palace."

Lubbock asked, "What kind of help? Retrieving what?"

Esdeath explained. During my time as a General I have collected many things. I have several powerful artifacts that I stored in a chamber under my bed in my room." Two of them are Imperial Arms that I withheld from the Capital. But more importantly...I have an old Grimoire that was written by the last Emperor's head researcher. It lists every known artifact, Imperial or not, that has ever been used. It is far more extensive and detailed than any other I have seen."

"That would be useful, but from what we had to deal with, I doubt that we could get in there now. Is that room hidden well enough for them not to find it?" Leone paused thinking, "I don't think the Empire has ever experience a worse turn of luck then you defecting. They might just burn your whole wing of the palace.

Esdeath shrugged at that, "It won't be found.

Leone grinned, "Well then, until that time we can train and you can get your strength back." She said, "Hey Lubbock, Go scout the capital, but make sure you don't get caught...so no taking chances."

Lubbock sighed, "Yeah...got it, but I want some time off after this run. Honestly, I spend more time in the capital then I do here."

A moment later he too had left. With Lubbock gone Leone deemed it safe to go to the hotspring for a long soak. She asked, "Akame, you want to take a long soak in the hotsprings. Since we don't have any real assignments at the moment, we have plenty of free time.

Akame nodded, "I'll come.

She was about to leave with Leone when Esdeath said, "I had one more thing to add." Akame waited for her to speak. she said, "I want my room to be Tatsumi's."

Leone snickered and Akame nodded. They both left after that, Leone already joking about recent events.

 **Ooo**

When they were out of sight Esdeath took his arm and pulled him out of his chair. He followed her as she led him back through the halls of the hideout, till they came to his room. When they were inside she closed the door behind them and then proceeded to drag him to the bed.

He sat down with her next to him. He asked, "Uh...what do you want?"

She smiled, "What I want? What I want is a lot of things. But right now I needed to tell you something."

Tatsumi felt his heart rate spike as she pushed in close. She said, "I lied back there. I do have a weakness, but I only want you to know it." She blushed and her hand slid inside his shirt. "My weakness... what makes me vulnerable...it's three different things..." She nuzzled him, "Pain...,blood loss, and... pleasure..."

His eyes widened, both from her statement and from her sensuous movements. "What do you mean by tha...at...?"

Her fingers traced his muscles on his chest as she said, "When I get hurt...it interrupts my command over ice. I'm not able to summon new ice to manipulate...and since my Imperial arm is in my blood, losing it weakens me greatly." She had opened the front of his shirt by now, "And pleasure..I can't focus my power when...I... when I feel...like this."

Her lips...her body, they connected to his as she kissed him. She toppled him to the bed and straddled him. She pured, "I love you...and you promised to stay with me. I'll make you mine Tatsumi. You'll feel the same way once we really sleep together..."

He gasped as she bit down on his shoulder, sucking at it. He tried to speak, "Esdeath...what about your wound!?"

"That's healed by now...but it will take days for me to regain my power again. My blood replenishes like normal." She bit him near his neck then smiled adoringly, "You make such lovely sounds Tatsumi...do you want me to continue?"

He opened his mouth, but she kissed him before he could speak. When she drew back he seemed slightly dazed. She whispered, "You talk too much..." She bit him again, watching him closely. "If you keep making faces like that it just makes me want to tease you more." Esdeath's hands moved from where they had opened his shirt...to her own. A few seconds later her bare breasts pressed into him. She murmured his name, "Tat...su...mi..." He shuddered, she was too good at this. Everything she was doing made his body want to turn traitor. He closed his eyes.

Esdeath took his hand and trailed it down her own body, between her perfect breasts, over her tone stomach... his eyes stayed closed until he felt something moist. She whispered in his ear, "Please Tatsumi...I'm ready..."

She brought his hand back and opened his mouth. A moment later he tasted something sweet. Esdeath asked, "How do I taste...?" He couldn't speak. The moment his hand was out of the way she was kissing him again.

She realized that he was still too...uncomfortable around her. He didn't love her, so he wouldn't respond to her affection. Esdeath decided on a new tact. She pulled back. "I won't let you go until you kiss me back." He looked up at her. His face was red and he was breathing hard. She leaned in close and said, "Don't be so hesitant..." Esdeath wrapped a leg around him and rolled them over.

She found herself looking up into his green eyes. This new position was...exciting...

Tatsumi felt her soft skin as she rolled them over, ending with him atop her. Here blue eyes were pleading...he'd never seen her...like this. Her hand pulled him down. "Kiss me damn it." He took a deep breath and forced all other thoughts out of his mind. He kissed her.

When she didn't respond to it he tried harder, his own hands sliding over her smooth skin. A second later he pulled back. He asked, "But I thought you wanted?"

She cut him off, " Tatsumi...you see what I mean now... Kiss me again."

He did and her response was immediate. Her fingers tangling in his hair as she returned the kiss. She opened her mouth as his tongue push into hers. Tatsumi let his instincts take over. He pulled her hands from his hair and held them to the bed, either side of her. Esdeath moaned in approval as he released her from the kiss and bit her neck, nibbling downward, marking her pale skin. He kept her pinned as he kissed the tops of her full breasts.

Esdeath squirmed as he softly bit her nipple. She didn't know how he had suddenly become... interested... Her breathing came in short gasps. It was a few moments before the pleasure she felt died down and she realized he had stopped. He was breathing hard too. He rasped, "I'm...sorry...but I can't...I know what comes next...I'm not ready..." She felt him release her arms. Tatsumi rolled over beside her and tried to slow his own rapid heartbeat.

She smiled, pleased that she had broken through his reluctance at least a little. Esdeath shifted to where she could rest her head next to his. "Thank you. She kissed him on the cheek. His blush, which had slowly started to recede, came back. It made her giggle.

Then she stopped... horrified that she had actually done that. Tatsumi had turned his head and was looking at her funny. She thought, _"I didn't just do that...well...I guess only he heard me."_ Esdeath leaned over him and caught his eyes. She said slowly...deliberately, "Don't tell anyone I did that...ok." He nodded fractionally.

Tatsumi mumbled, "Um...I should probably be training now. Could you..." She smirked and slipped off him. As Esdeath redressed herself Tatsumi found his shirt. He pulled it back on and left the room.

 **And there is the next chapter ended! Remember to review and be on the look out for chapter 4!**


	4. Important Alert for readers!

**Hey everyone! I've been rather sluggish in updating all my stories (especially ones like this where I've become sidetracked) or late, sorry about this but I will be forced to put all of them on hold for a minimum of two months. I have almost no time to write and update my stories, much less keep track of responses to reviews at this time.**

 **If things go well with my home life and exams then I should have updates for each one of my stories by the end of that time. After that posting will be slower than usual for my main stories. Many apologies but I just don't have as much time to spend writing as I used to.**

 **In addition to this, I'm working on an original novel at this time, something I've roughed out over the last three years while doing fanfiction. I can't spend study time writing if it isn't going to benefit me in someway other than personal enjoyment.**

 **I hope my readers understand, and this isn't a permanent sign off! believe it!**

 **(sorry couldn't help the Narutoism)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Ah well... I think that you guys deserve this chapter since you all answered my question so fast. Sigh... I had such great ideas for a Naruto/AGK. But that is besides the point. I guess I'll just have to start a separate fic now.**

 **So by popular demand (and a couple thinly veiled threats) you have the next chapter of Incursio and the Frozen Throne!**

 **(I don't own any part of Naruto or Akame ga Kill)**

 _ **Chapter 4**_

Tatsumi made his way to the training field where he had first met Bulat. He drew Incursio, putting it aside before starting his normal exercises. After a few minutes Esdeath found him. When she saw him training she sat on the stone steps the bordered the training field. She seemed to be deliberating with herself. Finally she remarked, "Tatsumi why don't you train with Incursio active?"

He halted his push-ups and looked at her puzzled. He said, "Because it's exhausting. I can't keep it active for more than a half an hour. I have to get stronger to increase the time I can use it."

Esdeath nodded and stood up, moving to where he had placed the sword. She picked it up and brought it to him. She said, "Use Incursio to train and you'll become stronger much quicker, trust me." Tatsumi stopped his pushups and stood, taking the short sword from her.

He asked, "How do you know?"

She explained, "Remember that old book I told you I had, containing lists of every artifact known? That has a whole chapter devoted to Incursio. The book was written by a man who also kept records for the empire. You understand that Incursio was given to its previous user by the Empire right. And it's been in the Empire's hands for 800 years. They have collected far more information on it that you could ever learn by yourself."

That sounded reasonable so he put Incursio in the guard position and activated it. Light from the blade engulfed him. He felt the energy forming armor as the light dissipated. A moment later he was wearing Incursio's armor. Tatsumi could already feel it sapping his stamina reserves. "What now?"

"Train like you usually would. Incursio is all about adaptation. If you train while wearing it you will adapt to whatever situation you're in. If you trained by the side of a volcano, you would eventually be able to swim through lava without taking damage."

Tatsumi blinked in amazement, "Really?!"

She smiled. It was a predatory smile. "Yes, In fact, you probably don't realize it, but the best thing you can do while training in your armor is to take hard hits." She motioned to his armor saying, "You can't see the difference, but your armor has already adapted to your fighting style. Because you are more of a defensive fighter and you are very evasive, Incursio had increased your speed and agility. However since you rarely take a hit, Incursio hasn't had the opportunity to harden its defense. Likewise, the more traumatic the situation, the faster Incursio adapts."

"But there is a limit to how fast Incursio will adapt before it will do physical damage to its user. If you adapt too fast then the armor will begin to mesh with your body, shortening your life span drastically." She took a step forward and put her arms around him. "I will help train you as soon as I'm recovered. But you have to promise me that you won't risk your life to improve your power. It's not worth it." She kissed him on the underside of his helmet and went back to sit on the steps. She called out, "Now, let's see how long you last!"

 **Ooo**

It turned out that he was able to last over 40 minutes. Esdeath watched him keenly as he went through his standard exercises, which lasted about half of the time. Once he finished those, he summoned Inucrsio's spear and began to practice his forms. Esdeath admired how he had mastered the forms, but there was something...off about his style and movements. It took her a few minutes to realize what it was.

Every fighter had a style...a weapon, a move that defined them. And while he was excellent with the long spear, it didn't suit him. She stood up and walked over to where he was whirling the spear around in long arcs. He stopped and turned. His breathing was raspy with strain. He was approaching his limit. Tatsumi asked, "What...is...it?"

She said, "I think you need to force a change with Incursio. That spear doesn't suit you."

He disabled his helmet, which disappeared. His face was drenched with sweat. "What..do you... mean...doesn't suit me?"

"I've been studying your forms. You would do better with a long sword. That spear is designed for penetration and power. Your style of fighting would be better with a sword...perhaps even two."

Tatsumi felt his strength run out and he fell a couple of inches to the dirt as his armor vanished, leaving him with Incursio clutched in his hand. Esdeath smiled, "Take me to the armory...I'll find a weapon that fits you perfectly..."

 **Ooo**

Their trip to the armory was uneventful. But when she walked in she smiled. Like a kid in a candy shop, she ran her fingers over the many blades. She found the wall that held a wide variety of swords, some common, some very exotic.

Esdeath scanned the racks till she found two that agreed with her. She took them down and handed them to Tatsumi. "They're a bit short for longswords, but they have the rage of features. Most will be at least very similar to these.

Tatsumi took them, his hands fitting well around the grips. He hefted them. They felt much lighter than Incursio's spear...and even lighter than the shortsword form of the artifact. Esdeath said, "Try out a few swings...get a feel for them."

Despite being exhausted he assumed a fighting stance. Esdeath stepped in before he could move. She moved his arms to a different position then she repositioned his legs and told him to lean forward slightly from where he was. He did so.

She said, "This is more the kind of stance you will take. When you're using two swords it's different than using one sword or a shield. With one sword you have more power and can be more precise. It also allows you to use your full strength for devastating overhead blows. When you fight with two it's more like a dance."

Esdeath slipped in behind him, her body pressing to his as she mirrored his stance. She said in his ear, "Step like this instead of your normal movement...take quick steps and keep on your toes." She kept up a steady pace showing him different movements for dual wielding.

After a while Tatsumi was starting to feel the strain of his muscles. They screamed for rest. Tatsumi gasped out, "Esdeath...I'm exhausted...could we stop for now?"

Her hands left his own and she stepped away. "That's fine Tatsumi. I didn't expect you to last this long after overusing Incursio." Esdeath smiled and replaced the swords on the rack. Then she walked back to him. She kissed him on the lips and then left the armory. After a second his mind reset again and he followed her.

 **Ooo**

 **ooo**

They met Akame, who was returning from her bath, a long towel wrapped around her. She looked to Tatsumi asking, "You look tired...what did you do?"

Tatsumi said, "Well, I did my normal training while wearing Incursio...so I'm shot for the day." He scratched the back of his head grinning. Akame glanced at Esdeath.

She asked, "Was it your idea?"

Esdeath nodded, "How did you know?"

Akame shrugged and continued past them saying, "Usually he trains for a couple hours..."

Tatsumi watched her go, but Esdeath was already walking onward. He caught up to her and asked, "Esdeath...it just occurred to me, but since you know so much about my Imperial Arm, you might know more about everyone else's."

She agreed, "Yes I studied the known Imperial arms that Night Raid had. What did you want to know?"

Tatsumi said, "I was wondering about everyone's actually, but it seems weird that Akame's only has one ability that we know of."

Esdeath shook her head. She said, "The demon blade called Murasame has more than one power. As far as I know it has three, not including it's trump card."

That made his jaw drop, "So I was right. You do know way more about them than we do... So what are the other abilities of Murasame?"

She thought for a moment. "The first one I know of is the one cut kill. Any living thing it so much as scratches...is dead, regardless of what kind of protection they have. The second is the ability to sense the presence of living beings nearby, even when magically hidden. The third...if I remember correctly allows the wielder to turn their body into one giant death seal. Anything they touch dies."

Esdeath paused, "The trump card...I only know what it is from rumor. It isn't actually recorded in my book. Supposedly, if the true wielder of Murasame cuts him or herself, they are transformed into the original demon that formed the sword...for a short time."

Tatsumi asked, "The true wielder turns into a demon...what if you aren't the um...true wielder?"

Esdeath smirked, "Obviously you would die...do you think she would survive to activate her trump card?"

Tatsumi shook his head, "I don't know...a demon...seems scary to me. At least my Imperial Arm is from a living creature and not some demonic spirit."

She shrugged, "My Imperial Arm is called Demon Extract and yours is called Demon armor. It seems to me that anything that is powerful enough to be made into an Imperial Arm...is deserving of the name demon."

They continued on and Tatsumi asked, "What about Mine's Imperial arm?"

Esdeath stopped walking. A look cross over her face. She said, "I'm not sure. I didn't read much about it..." She turned back to him saying, "Tatsumi...you're all sweaty...Why don't you go to the baths. I'll see you later."

He blinked and asked, "What will you be doing?"

She smiled, pushing forward to kiss him. He flushed red again. When she pulled back she said, "Never you mind about that. I promised to help you. I won't run away."

Tatsumi figured she was right about that much. "Ok...um...be careful." He passed her heading for the hotsprings.

 **Ooo**

When he was out of sight Esdeath's smile disappeared. She kept still, listening for the tell tale sounds that had been coming like clockwork ever few minutes for the last hour or so. A second later it came, like a sharp exhalation of wind, magnified in volume. Her eyebrows knitted together and she walked in that direction, being careful to mask her presence.

Esdeath found the girl she was looking for a short while later. She crept close, pulling out a long wickedly sharp knife from her boot.

 **Ooo**

Mine line up her next shot. It was almost two miles away. The outer limits of her range. Her finger tightened on the trigger as a whisper of fabric rubbing together alerted her to someone behind her. She growled, "Lubbock...I'm not in the mood, and I swear if you touch my butt again there will be a hole in you, big enough to put my foot though."

The cold ghostly touch of steel against her throat told her that she had misjudged the situation. She heard a voice, dripping with malice say, "Wrong...care to guess again?"

Mine couldn't keep herself from breaking out in a cold sweat. Esdeath noticed and Mine could almost hear the predatory grin. "That's correct, I am here to kill you, but I realize that it would upset Tatsumi if I did...and strain my relations with the rest of Night Raid. So instead I have a warning for you."

Mine asked, "What...is it?"

Esdeath said, "I know you like Tatsumi...maybe even as much as I do... I don't particularly _care_. I would be surprised if other girls didn't fall for him, _however_ I want you to know something. If you try to take him from me...or attempt to drive a wedge between us...they will never find your body."

Esdeath whispered in her ear, "And before I killed you...I would torture you to the brink of death and the drag you back to life three times before the end." She pressed the flat of the blade to Mine throat as she said, "Perhaps if you're a good little girl you can be his mistress when I make him Emperor... just you remember that he's _mine_."

She felt Esdeath pull the knife away. She waited until the feeling of dread disappeared. She dropped Pumpkin and let her head fall to the grass. Letting out a little sob. For a second...she had really thought Esdeath would slit her throat...and not doubt, if she had talked back...Esdeath would have.

Her heart continued to beat overtime as she recalled the promise of an agonizing death at the older girl's hands. Mine let herself return to a relatively calm state. It required several minutes. When she did manage to calm down something Esdeath had said leaped out at her. _"When I make him Emperor...be his mistress...remember he's mine..."_ Mine asked out loud, "Tatsumi...Emperor?"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tatsumi slipped into the natural hotspring. The intense heat soothed his muscles as he closed his eyes. He made his way by feel to the other side of the spring where it was deeper and there was a natural shelf you could sit on.

His hand encountered something soft and squishy. He heard someone say, "Mmmm...your getting pretty bold Tatsumi... How bout a little higher. He jumped back, his eyes flying open. Leone sat exactly where he had been heading. She was looking at him coyly, grinning. Leone inquired, "So Tatsumi...do you like the view?" She shifted so that her large breasts rested half in and out of the steaming water.

Tatsumi turned around and took several steps to the side before walking backwards. He sank into the water again as his back hit the edge of the spring. He kept his eyes closed to avoid seeing Leone exposed. She had a nasty habit of breaking things when people saw her naked. He mumbled, "Sorry...I didn't think you'd be here still after an hour."

She sounded amused, "No need to close your eyes. It's Lubbock that I have a problem with. I don't mind you...as long as you don't stare _too_ much." Leone giggled, showing sharp fangs.

He knew that Leone liked him, but it was a bit unnerving. She was a little like Esdeath. She made it seem like she was hunting you. And the fact that she turned into a half lion half human monster every once in a while, well, it made him less than enthusiastic about being this close to her.

Leone leaned over and draped an arm around his shoulders. She purred, "Come one Tatsumi...No need to give me the cold shoulder."

Tatsumi attempted an escape, but ended up losing his perch on the rock ledge. He dunked under the water. A second later he surfaced and tiredly dragged himself back onto the ledge. "Not right now, Ok Leone?" She nodded still smirking.

They sit there for a while, until Leone decided to break the proverbial ice. She asked, "So... tell me Tatsumi. Why are you so reluctant around girls? I've always wondered, especially since you obviously aren't gay."

She raised her eyebrows quickly as if asking, _"_ _Please tell me you aren't?"_

He looked at her and said, "I never really knew what to say to girls so I tried to avoid that sort of thing, even in my home village. Besides, you girls are complicated... no offence."

That caused her to burst out laughing. She held her sides as her bust jiggled. Tatsumi glanced away from her till she stopped shuddering. Eventually she leaned back. "And I thought that you'd had some horrible experience with some girl who was interested in you. It really is that simple huh? Too complicated..."

There was a pause and then Tatsumi said, "Well, I was kidnapped once..."

Leone blinked in momentary confusion then cracked up again. It required several minutes to get herself under control. When she had Tatsumi suggested helpfully, "At least I know how to defeat you now. All I have to do is start telling jokes and you'd be helpless."

Leone thought about that. An image of Tatsumi starting a comedic routine in the middle of a training match. She chuckled, "I don't think you're that fast a talker. Anyway I had something else to ask."

He raised one eyebrow in question.

She took a moment to let the humorous mood wear off before asking, "How much do you care for Esdeath?"

He stopped breathing for a second. Then he took a long breath. Leone let himself think about it, since it was a serious question. His response was a long time in coming. He closed his eyes saying, "I don't know. I...feel like I want to have deeper feelings for her. She's smart and she doesn't hide her feelings. She just tells everyone how she feels and, well..., kills them if they disagree with her. But, at the same time she believes that only the strong should survive, and she thinks that the weak are just a ladder to success."

He sighed. "I used to be one of the weak. I was brought up by the weak. And it was only a stroke of luck...or more like several strokes of luck at the same time that I'm alive today. And I like to have friends, to be able to trust someone. I mean...like Mine. I know we don't get along, but I trust her. I trust you and Lubbock and Akame, but when I think of Esdeath. I don't know, I get this horrible feeling like I might do or say something that changes how she thinks of me. Do you think she would feel the same way if she though I didn't have the potential to be very strong?"

Leone shrugged. "It's really hard for me to tell. Survival of the fittest is one of those things that's hard to argue with. I've lived by that rule to a point. I'm only around because no one has caught me yet. For me it's more like...survival of the smartest, but that's only another way of saying the same thing."

Tatsumi nodded and opened his eyes. He sounded confused, "I don't understand her. At first when she agreed to come with me I thought that she was just following her heart, but I think that she believes that this is another test. You know, a challenge to see if she really is the strongest." Tatsumi let his head drop. "I would rather not be a part of that. Even if I loved her now... would she be satisfied with that. And what about what she told me about making me Emperor? Would she be satisfied with Emperor and Empress, or would she want even more? I can't tell where the survival of the fittest ends and power hungry begins."

Leone said, "Let me tell you something Tatsumi. I personally don't care if she became the Empress as long as she was a good ruler. I wouldn't mind you being Emperor either because I know you would be a good one. And as much as I doubt either of those will happen, it doesn't change the fact that she is ambitions and so are you. You're just looking for different things." Leone smiled saying, "But it would be easier if you did love her."

He let himself imagine what it would be like to love Esdeath.

Leone watched him. He seemed to be deep in thought. Maybe he was wondering if he could come to have deep affections for the icy Esdeath? She thought, _"It will be interesting to watch them. That's for sure... but what makes me wonder is how Esdeath is going to react when she learns how Akame feels. I'm not even sure if Tatsumi knows about that little detail. Not to mention Mine has a crush on him, even if she refuses to admit it. Things could get pretty heated. I'm just glad that Esdeath is more reasonable than Najenda led us to believe."_

Tatsumi finally looked up and asked, "How can you be sure she would be a good ruler? I just can't wrap my head around the whole idea. Me? Emperor?! That's like putting a mouse in charge of a city lead by cats."

Leone smirked. "I never said that she would actually be a good ruler, or even a good person. I'm sure she would be an effective ruler, one way or the other. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. I doubt that the Capital's throne will feel the weight of you skinny butt any time soon."

He gave her an offended look. He asked, "Was that a compliment or an insult?"

She shrugged, "Take it how you like Tatsumi." She stood up and stretched, intentionally giving him a good view. He gulped. Leone winked at him over her shoulder and grabbed a towel from the side of the hot spring. "Well...I'll see ya later Tatsumi. Stay out of trouble won't you."

With that she waded away from him and into the steam of the hotspring. Once he was sure she was gone he let himself relax. He thought, _"Jeeze...is it just me or does Leone have a death wish? If Esdeath saw her do that..."_

He forced those thought out of his mind and let the hot water sooth his aching muscles.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tatsumi walked into the main hall some time later. Mine, Esdeath, Leone and Akame were all there. He moved over to them. Akame was reading from a small rolled note.

As he drew close Mine glanced at him. The look was a bit odd. He filed it away for later thought. Stepping to Akame's side he read over her shoulder. It was a message from Najenda

 _Akame, I'm sorry for putting you in this situation, but I will be delayed. I may not return for two weeks or more. There was an assassination attempt in the middle of the revolution's base camp. We are still working to find out what caused it. I am needed here at the moment. If all goes well I will be back by the end of the month._

 _As for Esdeath, keep a close eye on her. I find it very hard to believe this information that Mine sent me. However do not attempt to attack or restrain her until I arrive and sort things out. None of you are a match for her. From what Mine's message said, the Capital is in an uproar. Do NOT attempt any high profile missions until I return._

 _Play it by ear for now._

 _Najenda._

Tatsumi finished reading just as Akame dropped her hand and said, "The boss won't be back for at least two weeks. We aren't to attempt any difficult missions until she does." She left out certain parts of the letter for obvious reasons. She didn't want Esdeath to be offended.

Tatsumi asked her, "So what is our move now Akame?"

She looked back at him and said simply, "We will take this time to do recognizance and train. Leone, you and Lubbock will talk with Esdeath as soon as possible. She will know much about the palace that we don't have info on. Once the danger dies down at the palace, I want both of you to infiltrate and learn the schedules of the guards around Esdeath's chambers. We need to get those artifacts she spoke of before her rooms are given to someone else."

Esdeath interrupted, "Something else that needs done very soon… Is we must send word to my army stationed in the north." Everyone looked at her confused for a moment.

Then Mine asked loudly, "And why would we do that?"

Tatsumi saw Esdeath tense in momentary anger. It looked like she was about to berate Mine when he said, "It's because their still loyal to you right?"

Esdeath turned to him smiling. Her demeanor changing from angry to pleased in a split second.

"Of course. My army in the north is still under my control. The entire army swore fealty to me as their general. That bond has been strengthened by dozens of battles, each one a victory. They will follow me where ever I choose to go. If you can get word to them before the Empire does, then they will be at my disposal again. I can order them to do a forced match south and then swing wide around the capital. They would take a path though the outlying country and follow the border down to this point. None would attack an army of that size unless directly threatened."

Esdeath put her hand on her chin. She shifted and went quiet as though working it out in her head. Eventually she said, "I calculate that it would take three weeks for them to properly mobilize and head south. Winter is on it's way so the journey would be difficult. But properly provisioned they could be here within four to six months."

Mine shouted, "Six months! How could it take any one that long to travel from the north lands to here?! It wouldn't take me a month and a half!" Tatsumi bent to his right and whispered in her ear. She went rigid with embarrassment.

Leone commented, "For a force of that size, setting up camp takes hours by its self. Just getting ready to go takes half the day. And since only a small amount of the soldiers would have horses, they would be moving at a footman's pace. Half the day is gone before they get going. And I would bet they have siege equipment as well, which is even slower to transport."

Esdeath nodded, "I made a point to include a variety of siege equipment. Most of it wasn't even used. It would be very useful to the revolution. Most of your siege weapons are either badly made or antiques. My reasoning is very simple. If you don't send my army a message then the Empire will. Do you really want the Empire to have my men at their disposal?" It was clear by the looks on their faces that they didn't.

Akame looked disappointed. "No message hawk would survive in the north with winter coming. We would need to send a human messenger...and soon. The Empire won't forget they have an asset like that just sitting there."

Leone said happily, "I know just the guy for the job. I can get him to leave by the end of the week if you can get the message written Esdeath. He'll ride hard and fast. It's the only thing he knows how to do."

A minute wet by as Akame went to fetch paper. Mine disappeared on the pretence of doing chores. Tatsumi turned to Esdeath. It had come to him that there was something missing from the plan to send orders north. He asked Esdeath, "Um...how are you going to make it where they know the message is from you?" He saw Esdeath's smile disappear.

"Oh dear...I completely forgot. My attendants were slain. There isn't anyone with the army that can read my code..." Esdeath seemed shocked by her own forgetfulness. She said, almost to herself, "How could I have forgotten them...?" Pacing away from him, she seemed momentarily lost.

Leone and Tatsumi shared a look. He walked over to Esdeath and asked, "Are...are you ok?"

She didn't respond. Tatsumi put a hand on her shoulder. It was unsettling that she was so unhinged by missing that detail...at last she turned back to him. She asked, "Is it right for me to have dismissed their existence like that...? They died so recently and I knew them for a long time... Despite their failure, I should have at least remembered their duties were left undone in their absence."

Tatsumi said, "It's ok. You just need to figure out how to send a message right. Is there a way to make sure they know it's from you?"

As he asked, her body tensed once then twice. She forced herself out of her trance. "Yes...I can send a message to Inudara. He was the younger brother of Daidara. He might not be able to read the code, but he will recognize it for what it is. They will know it is from me."

Leone asked hesitantly, "But will the rest of your army believe him, that it is actually from you?"

Esdeath said, "Do you think that anyone in my army has the balls to pretend they received a message from me. Any orders that they thing might _possibly_ be from me...they will obey. Simply out of fear should they choose to ignore it, they know they would pay for any disobedience." Esdeath smirked saying, "Such is the advantage of having an army that fears you."

Tatsumi reigned in the urge to shudder at her words. Sometimes she was just...unnerving. He wondered if she knew how uncomfortable it made him...Probably not.

 **Ooo**

A few minutes later Akame returned with parchment and ink. Esdeath took it and sat down at the main table. Tatsumi waited as she started out with a complex code. The letters weren't even the same as the capital's language., yet she wrote quickly and with ease.

Tatsumi asked, "What language is that? You seem pretty skilled in it for it to be a secret code."

She nodded as she finished the coded part of the letter. "This is my home tongue. The language of the Old Northern tribes. I'm one of only a few survivors. In my years as a general I've met only two others with any lineage like mine, and neither had direct blood ties to one of the clans. I've used this as my secret code for years. The old tongue is much more complex than the Common that those in the Capital speak."

Akame walked over to her, "Are you going to tell them anything about your situation? Or are you simply going to give them orders for a forced march?"

Esdeath stopped writing and looked up. The smile on her face was… predatory. "I'll tell them we will be attacking the Capital of course. I might be a scheming general, but I don't out right lie to my men. If I did there would be no trust between us. As I've already told you, I may seem heartless, but that's more a byproduct of my efficiency."

Akame shrugged, "I never said I had a problem with it."

Tatsumi chuckled, "Yeah… with Murasame, she's kinda the peak of efficncy. Even you have to deal enough damage with your ice to kill. Akame just has to break the skin."

She glanced at Akame, as if measuring her. Once again blue met red with a calculating gaze. "I suppose you're right…" Esdeath turned back to the letter and started to detail her orders for the army. It was a few minutes before she finished.

Once she was done she handed it to Akame. The defacto leader of Nightraid checked over the letter wordlessly before passing it to Leone. Esdeath said, "The coordinates for the army's main camp in on the back. Make sure your.. messanger gets there on time. I don't fancy facing my own army in the field of battle."

Leone gave a sloppy salute and grinned, "As you command!" Then she headed out.

Tatsumi asked, "So… I was wondering…" he glanced at Akame, "Do you know all of Murasame's abilities?"

Seeming surprised by the sudden interest in her sword she blinked, "Why?"

He gestured to Esdeath. "She said she knew all about it."

Akame turned to the former general. Esdeath smiled, "I already explained that I have detailed knowledge on all of the Imperial arms that the capital has… or possessed until recently. Your blade may be mysterious, but even those secrets can be unraveled over time." She asked, "Do you have a high compatibility with your weapon?"

Akame shifted, "Najenda guessed I had 93% compatibility. That is higher than any of our imperial arms except for one of our.. former members. His Imperial Arms has rejected everyone since then."

Tatsumi whistled, "Wow… I didn't know you were such a close match. I don't think I fit Incursio that well!" His eyes were drawn to the weapon at her hip. Akame's crimson eyes met his for a moment. Something passed between them for a second before she glanced to the side.

"I'm sure you are well matched to Incursio. Bulat said so."

Akame's voice was flat, but both Tatsumi and Esdeath felt something off about it. He shifted and examined her body language. She seemed a bit stiff, but she was always like that, unless she was killing someone…

Esdeath was better able to read Akame and her own body tensed slightly. Were the girl's cheeks turning a bit pink? She didn't have a chance to speak as Akame spun on her heel. "I don't require your help… I know Murasame's powers."

It was only a moment before Akame disappeared as well. Tatsumi watched her go puzzled, _"_ _I must be imagining things… She never acted like that before now… did she? And why his she been so curt with Esdeath. I expected her to be more friendly since they have similar views on survival."_

He sighed and turned to Esdeath, "Well… um… I guess it's just us again… What do you want to do?"

She rolled her eyes, "Tatsumi… I love you, but you shouldn't be so hesitant. What do _you_ want to do?" Her voice was playful as she walked behind him, twining her arms around his chest. "Well? I doubt you've recovered from using Incursio… Perhaps we should go take a nap…"

Esdeath smirked as he blushed. "Oh… is that what you were thinking? I wasn't suggesting we do _that._ You're exhausted after all. Wouldn't be fair to my precious lover…."

He attempted to get words out but he was failing, "I.. um…that's…"

She bit his shoulder teasingly, "You keep making that face again… Come on. If you need direction, I'll take you along with me…"

Tatsumi didn't know whether to be grateful that she wasn't playing with him anymore… or scared of what her intentions were this time. _"_ _Oh god… please tell me she doesn't actually want to go and.. sleep again. My heart is going to stop for good if I keep waking up next to her…"_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Akame sat in her room, looking at the blade of her sword. _Murasame…_ The one cut killer, said to have slain more than a thousand men. She knew… that she'd doubled its tally in the relatively short time she'd used it.

The blade tilted, catching the light from the candle she had lit. She found her own eyes staring back at her. Immediately her mind conjured up different ones… Green emotional eyes, unruly brown hair, and a lopsided grin. It tugged her own lips into a small smile, though it was more sad than she could admit. _"_ _Tatsumi… you do not see me as an assassin. You have always seen me as myself, even when you thought I was strange…"_

One hand rose to her lips as she tilted the blade, reflecting her face, bare of any makeup. She forced herself to smile. It looked so… unnatural to her. Almost… unattractive.

She dropped the blade.

It was not something she wanted to think about. Tatsumi… he was her friend… but he was also Mine's friend. And the pinket was always so close to him, maybe not in that way, but still. She could be with Tatsumi and act normal…

She couldn't. It was a condition she'd set for herself a long time ago. No emotion… no fear… no soul. A weapon..wielding a weapon.

Akame frowned and gripped Murasame tightly, bringing it around till the edge rested over her other hand. Quick and decisive, she cut her finger. Blood stained the blade as it burst from her skin. She watched it flow, down her hand… and down the edge of the sword.

Her eyes closed as she thought tiredly, _"_ _No emotion… A blade cannot hurt that which does not feel….."_

 **And there is the end of the chapter everyone. I worked a bit of overtime getting this one out to you. Hope you like the character development! And you all remember to review!**


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